Thursday, July 5, 2012

Protestantism- The great apostasy that heralds the antichrist

2 Thessalonians: 1 And we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together unto him:

2 That
you be not easily moved from your sense, nor be terrified, neither by
spirit, nor by word, nor by epistle, as sent from us, as if the day of
the Lord were at hand.

3 Let no man deceive you by any means, for unless there come a revolt first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,

4 Who
opposeth, and is lifted up above all that is called God, or that is
worshipped, so that he sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself as
if he were God.

5 Remember you not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

The revolt Paul speaks of here is Protestantism. The so-called Reformers (who were actually deformers), broke from legitimate Christianity in the early 16th century. Unlike Satan's other heresies, Protestantism was quite cleverly devised in that it targets man greatest weakness- Pride- directly and, in doing so, makes each person right in his own eyes. As the consequent splintering and splintering continue, more and more protestant groups grow ever further from the Theological core. Many of them are so adrift that they can no longer plausibly be called Christians.

Calling Protestants- of any stripe- Christians is to use the loosest definition of the term. That is, that they claim a belief in and worship of Jesus Christ. No Protestants actually engage in complete, proper worship though many combine some of the elements of worship such as prayer and fasting and a few, even have a liturgy (though a false one).

None of the many doctrines of protestantism are Biblical and none can be found anywhere in church history, from 1517 backwards.

The Doctrines of Protestantism are clearly refuted by the plain text of Scripture. The Doctrine of Sola Fide (faith alone) is clearly refuted by James 2:24 and scores of other passages. Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) is struck down by 2 Thessalonians 2:15 and many more scriptures. Once saved, always saved makes a mockery of 2 Peter 2:21-22. The rejection of the Eucharist and the necessity of Baptism and Confession are all struck down by the plain words of Scripture and every Catholic doctrine from the Trinity, to the Immaculate Conception are upheld by those same Sacred texts.

Unfortunately, most protestants are very lazy when it comes to studious Scripture study. Most learn maybe 2 or 3 dozen verses of "proof texts" that they wrench from their context and use to support their abominable doctrines.

That is why it is Protestantism, not Catholicism that has fallen prey to the world. Contraception, abortion, homosexuality. One by one, it is the Protestant churches and cults that are- like so many dominoes- falling to these sinful vices. Even the so-called sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic church is dwarfed by the fact that a protestant minister is TEN TIMES as likely to offend as a Catholic Priest. (Study by Protestant Dr. Phillip Jenkins, Penn State University.) In public schools, the number is even TEN FOLD more (as the recent Penn State tragedy shows).

Protestant is really a form of religious atheism.

Colossians 2:22-23

22 ( referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

2 Timothy 3:5Having an appearance indeed of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Now these avoid.

That is why it should come as no surprise that there are no miracles in Protestantism and countless miracles in Catholicism. Man made the former, God made the latter.

Of course, Protestants will be quick to point out that antichrist will work wonders as well. That is true. Yet, all of antichrist's miracles are counterfeits of the real deal. For instance, the Bible tells us that antichrist will call down fire from heaven to deceive. Yet Moses and Elijah also called fire down from heaven and all of the apostles performed miracles.

Protestants claim miracles ended with the apostles. They have to. There are no miracles in protestantism because they don't believe. Yet miracles in Catholicism have never ceased, from when it was founded in 33 AD, even to this day. In fact, in just the last few days, a proclamation of a miracle due to the intercession of the late Fulton Sheen.

These miracles prove that Catholic saints are in heaven. Whether any protestants are in heaven or not can only be a matter of conjecture. Although I certainly hold to the hope and firm belief that some protestants can, and will be, saved, the fact remains that only a devout Catholic can be certain of salvation.That is not because Catholics are any holier, by nature, than non-catholics (How I wish it were so). It is because Catholics, by virtue of being in communion with the one true faith, have access to the Sacraments which are the true and ordinary means of receiving Grace, unto salvation. Scripture proves this in no uncertain terms.

Baptism:

1 Peter 3:21
Whereunto baptism being of the like form, now saveth you also:
not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the examination of a
good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Confession

John 20:22-23

22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost.

23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

Holy Eucharist

John 6

54 Then
Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh
of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.

55 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.

56 For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.

57 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.

Extreme Unction

James 5:14Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

Holy Orders

1 Timothy 4:14
Neglect not the grace that is in thee, which was given thee by prophesy, with imposition of the hands of the priesthood.

To deny this is to call God a liar and that is a very bad idea. As you can see by the last one, Grace is in Timothy as a result of his holy orders and that grace ought not be neglected. Those who claim that Grace is simply "unmerited favor" Sure look silly when viewing these passages. Grace is a substance, if you will. It is a participation in the Divinity of Christ. Not that you become Divine, far from it. That Grace, purchased at Calvary, is infused in you and cleanses your sin. The church dispenses that Grace, at Jesus command.

2 Corinthians 8:19
And not that only, but he was also ordained by the churches companion of our travels, for this grace, which is administered by us, to the glory of the Lord, and our determined will:

So, you cut yourself off from the font of Grace, you endanger your own soul. Jesus said of His Church, "He who hears you, hears me. He who rejects you rejects me" (Luke 10:16)

Those who reject the Catholic Church reject Christ. It is just that simple.

Only in light of all this can Ephesians 2:8-10 be properly understood. These verses do not purport, as some wrongly insist, that salvation is a free gift from God.It says no such thing.

8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, for it is the gift of God;

9 Not of works, that no man may glory.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God hath prepared that we should walk in them.

It refers to Grace, the thing by which you are saved.

Faith refers to the means by which you freely receive that Grace

Good Works refer to the purpose of that Grace, prepared by God, which we are expected to carry out.

So what is Paul saying? Very simple Grace is a free gift of God received by those who have faith (Catholics). It is NOT the result of your good works, thus, there can be no cause for boasting. It is, however, for the purpose of good works, that you are expected to accomplish.

So Ephesians 2:8-10 in no wise equals free salvation. That is a gross perversion of the text.These verses mean that Grace is free, if someone is in faith, but that faith must be cooperated with. Protestantism is lazy religion that doesn't want to see this.

To the extent that a Protestant is earnestly seeking the truth and fails to find full communion with the Catholic church through no fault of their own, they can possibly receive Grace by extraordinary means such as a baptism of desire. On the other hand, those who fail to find Catholicism to to vanity or laziness, will be lost in the eternal fires of hell. That is the sad and sobering reality but it is a fact.

Protestantism has no root in Biblical Christianity. Therefore, to become a TRUE "born-again, Bible believing Christian", you have to become a Catholic. In remaining a Protestant, the best you can hope for is to find your way to being as little of a heretic as possible. All protestants are material heretics though some are that way simply because they don't know any better. Apostolates like Deepertruth attempt to reach those people.

On the other hand, remaining in protestantism is just as likely to take you in the other direction- a never-ending, hellward spiral of aberrant doctrine, vanity and the reviling of glorious beings (Jude v8).

Eventually this current drags them inexorably towards the coming antichrist, a false Jewish Messiah who proudly flies the satanic hexagram (the mark of the beast) on his flag of the false Israel. The common misconception is that the Pentagram is the highest symbol of the occult. That is false. The hexagram is. With it's 6 points, 6 triangles and 6 inner sides, it is the perfect pictorial depiction of the number of the beast- 666. Called the "star of david", and displayed on the flag of "Israel". The fact is that this symbol has no root back to David or Israel but is prominently used in Islam and Satanism.Isn't ironic that so-called Christians proudly display Satan's royal seal on their websites?

These have bought, hook, line and sinker, into man-made dispensationalist and Zionist lies from those who say they are Jews but are really the Synagogue of Satan (Rev 2:9, 3:9)Rejecting the Catholic church is a very dangerous thing and can eventually get you tattooed with a mark that will wind you up in a very, very, very hot place. I invite you to leave your false protestant, fast-food, easy way out religion and become a REAL Christian. Go see a Catholic Priest today!

"In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions thr...

The Pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15)

The purpose of Deeper Truth is to provide a defense for the one fully true church of Christ. It is not designed to attack or hurt others.

We will speak boldly. We will not whitewash the truth.

Yes, we do believe that there is only 1 truth and the only place on earth where it can be found whole, complete, and uncorrupted is the Roman Catholic Church. Yes, we do feel that we can prove that case.

We can prove it historically, supernaturally, logically, practically and Biblically. And we will, make no mistake about that.

We believe that science and observation and reason are sufficient proofs of the existence of God. We also believe that reason and logic alone are sufficient causes for any human being to suspect that that God would have revealed Himself to us in some fashion. Further, we believe that He has and the historical, practical and supernatural proofs are beyond overwhelming that God has revealed, and continues to reveal, His will to us exclusively through the Roman Catholic Church, which He founded when He lived among us in the historical person of Jesus Christ.

We believe that anyone who has totally given Himself to the whole and objective search for truth cannot help but be drawn towards the light of what the Apostle Paul called the Pillar and Foundation of all truth, that is the Catholic Church.A mere 77 years after the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, when some of the young witnesses would still have been alive, St. Ignatius of Antioch said; “Where Christ is, there is His Catholic Church”.

Truer words were never spoken.

For those of you chomping at the bit to discuss (or dare you dream, refute) Catholic teaching, don’t worry, you will get your chance.

Here is what constitutes debate to me. You do not ignore my questions or evidences and simply move on to more questions and or accusations. You do not make accusations, purported as factual, without sufficient original evidence.

That means that you do not make an accusation about what Catholics believe, do or have done or will do without providing an original, verifiable source that can be instantly accessed by any listener of the program.

If you characterize debate as an endless stream of unsupported accusations, you have come to the wrong place.

Here are some examples of what would constitute proof;

If you charge, as fact, that Catholics believe a particular thing, I will expect you to provide a link to an official Catholic source, citing it as a defined doctrine. Sources could include the Catechism of the Catholic Church or a document from a council. Links to anti- Catholic or non-Catholic sources that quote teachings out of context are insufficient.

I will gladly debate you on anything the Catholic Church actually has defined and teaches but I won’t waste my time arguing about what Dave Hunt or Jack Chick falsely claims that we teach.

If you charge, as purported fact, that a belief the church actually does have violates scripture or Christian teaching in some way, be prepared to not only support your arguments but to contest mine. I will debate via Scripture, history, tradition, practicality and logic. If you insist that the debate can only be on Scripture alone because you allege that Scripture is the only authority, I will insist that you provide scripture explicitly establishing that only the written word of God, as contained in a specific canon of books, can be accepted to the exclusion of all else.

Good luck.

If you charge, for example, that Catholic sexual abuse proves that the Catholic church cannot be the true church of God, I will expect you to provide empirical evidence that the rate of sexual abuse among Catholic priests is higher than ministers of other faiths or of the public at large.

The purpose of this show is to show you the truth. I will do so by basis of empirical evidence. If you truly want to see the truth, I can provide it. If you are simply unwilling to see the truth, I cannot help you.

That being said, we know that there are good people in all faiths and that many people of good will are genuinely confused about what Catholics believe and why they believe it.

I will start by giving you 30 basic precepts of what Catholics believe, as a foundation for us to build on. I will then explain exactly how this show will work.

1. We believe that by nature, science and reason alone, God has put sufficient light in every man to realize that the formation and expansion of life cannot possibly be by chance or random action. We believe that science, observation and simple human reason makes it impossible for anyone to truly doubt the existence of an intelligent designer. We believe that anyone who denies such a basic and undeniable fact, does so by force of pride or rebellion, not by force of intellect.2. We believe that, hard-wired, by the creator, into every human being is a basic knowledge of right and wrong, good and evil. Man can choose to suppress this knowledge but he that will cause an intrinsic rebellion within him. Among this basic knowledge is the truth that murder, stealing, lying, violence, rape and homosexuality are disordered and objectively evil. Again, we believe anyone denying this knowledge isn’t doing so out of an intellectually arrived at position but out of rebellion or pain or pride. This knowledge is as basic as the knowledge that we need to breath, eat, drink, sleep, avoid pain and fight or flee danger. It is instinctive.3. We believe that each person has in him an irresistible longing for God that battles against an unruly and unreasonable concupiscence. Concupiscence is man’s innate selfish desire. We Catholics define this concupiscence as original sin. Fully giving oneself over to the longing for God will lead to salvation. The most perfect completion of this being in the Catholic Church. A lifetime spent resisting this urge for God, in exchange for the longings of the flesh will lead to a lifetime of misery and-eventually- to an eternity of unimaginable suffering.4. We believe this God has revealed Himself to us in very specific ways and through very specific people. These people include Prophets, Saints, Apostles and Old Testament Kings. The ways include Miracles and Signs, Sacred Scripture, public and private revelation, sacred tradition and the teachers He has appointed throughout the ages from Abraham to the current Magisterium of today’s Roman Catholic Church.5. Because of #4, We believe anyone who claims to speak for God has an obligation to demonstrate credentials. We can do so in ways that no other church or religious entity on earth could even dare to claim.6. We believe this God has been revealed as a singular God who exists in 3 persons, the second of which also took on humanity. We believe this one triune God and only this one triune God is worthy of worship. Anyone who tells you that Catholics worship anyone but the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit is lying to you. It’s just that simple.7. We believe that this God gave us a moral law that will never pass away and that every single person will face the judgment of God based on the moral law.8. We believe that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Mosaic law.9. We believe that Jesus Christ, by His life, suffering, death and Resurrection redeemed the world.10. We believe the graces secured at Calvary are sufficient for the removal of all sin.11. We believe that salvation is by Christ alone.12. We believe that salvation is by grace alone.13. We believe that man must participate in his own salvation and that no man or woman has ever been saved, or ever will be saved by faith alone. That the Bible clearly refutes the doctrine of Salvation by Faith alone is clear almost to the point of excess. Anybody who tells you that man is saved by faith alone is simply repeating a man-made lie, whether or not they may actually believe it.14. We believe that Jesus Christ created a church that is the Pillar and Foundation of all truth, just as the Bible states. That we have an infallible Bible (and we do) is only because an infallible church gave it to us. That church-and only that Church- is fully and completely entrusted by God with the Scriptures and the Truths of Religion. Everyone else is guessing, to greater or less success, all falling short of the fullness of the truth of Catholicism. In fact…..15. We believe that, in truth, there is only one true church. Catholic means Universal and we affirm that every single baptized Christian is a member-knowing or unknowing, willing or unwilling- of the Catholic Church and accountable, to the extent of the light of faith within them, to her teachings.16. We affirm the infallibility and inspiration of Scripture and that all Scripture is useful for reproof, teaching and training in holiness. Nevertheless, we reject the notion of Sola Scriptura and hold the notion of practical sufficiency and the SELF interpretation of Scripture to be self-refuting, untenable nonsense.17. We hold the teaching authority of the Church, the Sacred tradition of the fathers, and Holy Scripture to all be necessary parts of the Church.18. We do not believe that any of the members of the Catholic Church are Impeccable, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Divine, Eternal or, in any way, shape, manner or form equal with God. This includes past, present and future members of the Catholic Church. We believe that all members of the Church had to be saved from the stain of original sin by God’s Sanctifying Grace.19. We believe that Mary was saved by Sanctifying grace from her Mother’s womb, as was John the Baptist. We believe we can prove this scripturally.20. We do not believe that Mary is God. Anyone who tells you that Catholics worship Mary is a liar. We do believe that She is the MOTHER of God and to deny this is to deny the Incarnation. We also believe that She fulfills the Biblical roles of the Queen Mother, The Ark of the Covenant, the Mother of Christians, the Woman clothed with the Sun and a co-mediatrix, co-redemtrix and advocate that in no manner contradicts 1 Timothy 2:5.21. We believe that Jesus gave the Catholic clergy the power to anoint, to bind and loose, to preach and interpret Scripture and to forgive sins.22. We believe that not one soul is saved by any other name than Jesus, even those saved who never heard His name.23. We believe that not one soul that is saved is not saved by the merits Jesus gives through His Catholic Church, even those who don’t come to fully understand and accept it.24. We believe that Jesus meant what He said in the 6th chapter of John’s Gospel and that each consecrated host contains the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.25. We believe that only the full canon of Scripture as defined by the Catholic Church, 73 books, constitutes a complete Bible and only one carrying an Imprimatur is free from doctrinal error.26. We reject the doctrine of the Rapture and believe that Christians will have to endure the great tribulation.27. We reject a strictly futurist view of books like John’s Revelation.The prophecies concerning the great harlot in Revelation 17-18, for instance, refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.28. We reject the assertion that the Israel of today’s world is the Israel of Scripture and find the assertion absurd and untenable. The Church is the new Israel. The Jewish Israel of Scripture is gone, dead, kaput…no more. There is no more temple and will never be. There are no more prophets nor will ever be, no more sacrifice, no more kings, no more Jerusalem. The city is Babylon and a Spiritual Sodom. Revelation 11:8.29. We reject the doctrine that only Catholics can be saved. God will save who He will. That someone cannot reach the fullness of truth, through their honest efforts, will not be held against him. Those who knowingly reject the truth will perish in their sin and be damned. God will judge all by their works- PERIOD.30. We do not believe that lying in defense of one’s beliefs, as anti-catholics do, is a virtue but a violation of the commandments of God.We trust that these subjects and more will make for lively, spirited and- we hope- civil debate.

Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.~ John 15:20

See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution(17) of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper(18) Eucharist, which is[administered] eitherSee that ye all follow the bishop, even as Christ Jesus does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles. Do ye also reverence the deacons, as those that carry out[through their office] the appointment of God. Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper(18) Eucharist, which is[administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude[of the people] also be;

90

by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude[of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate a love-feast; but whatsoever he shall approve of, that is also pleasing to God, so that everything that is done may be secure and valid.(2) even as where Christ is, there does all the heavenly host stand by, waiting upon Him as the Chief Captain of the Lord's might, and the Governor of every intelligent nature. It is not lawful without the bishop either to baptize, or to offer, or to present sacrifice, or to celebrate a love-feast.(1) But that which seems good to him, is also well-pleasing to God, that everything ye do may be secure and valid.